Dry winds and high temperatures create perfect recipe for fire weather across Bay Area

Dry winds coupled with high temperatures are creating the perfect recipe for fire conditions on Mount Diablo in the East Bay.

Dry winds coupled with high temperatures are creating the perfect recipe for fire conditions on Mount Diablo in the East Bay.

Photo: Bob Cornelis/Getty Images

Photo: Bob Cornelis/Getty Images

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Dry winds coupled with high temperatures are creating the perfect recipe for fire conditions on Mount Diablo in the East Bay.

Dry winds coupled with high temperatures are creating the perfect recipe for fire conditions on Mount Diablo in the East Bay.

Photo: Bob Cornelis/Getty Images

Dry winds and high temperatures create perfect recipe for fire weather across Bay Area

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Strong winds coupled with high temperatures and dry conditions have put the San Francisco Bay Area at a high risk of wildfires Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the North and East Bay hills in effect until 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Above normal temperatures are in the forecast across the Bay Area with coastal areas in the low-80s, spots along the bay front in the high-80s to low-90s and inland valleys in the high-90s to low-100s. A heat advisory is also in effect for most of the Bay Area through 7 p.m. Wednesday. The NWS warns residents to drink plenty of fluids, limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest period of the day and not leave kids or pets in cars.

KTVU meteorologist Steve Paulson says there will be high fire danger through Wednesday with a cool down expected on Thursday.

Media: KTVU

The heat is the result of a high pressure ridge over the eastern Pacific that is preventing activity from the ocean reaching land. What's more, the typical Bay Area wind pattern where the ocean breeze blows cool air across the Pacific Ocean toward the coast has broken down and instead offshore winds have kicked up. These northeasterly winds blow hot air from inland valleys toward the coast, allowing for a widespread heat wave.

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Wind gusts at the high elevations in the North and East Bay Hills are forecast to be up to 40 mph.

Those gusty dry winds dry everything out and the combination of the low humidity and high temperatures can cause fires to spark easily," says Anna Schneider, a forecaster with the NWS. "These winds are much drier than our typical offshore winds."

The Wednesday forecast calls for similar temperatures, possibly a few degrees warmer in interior valleys. On Thursday, the mercury is expected to take a nosedive as the wind pattern switches back to an onshore flow with a sea breeze blowing cool air from the ocean toward the coast.

Amy Graff is a digital editor for SFGATE. Email her at agraff@sfgate.com.